Those looking for a permanent two-wheeler or four-wheeler driving licence in Uttar Pradesh will now have to demonstrate their driving skills on a simulator.

Simulators are equipped to train people on driving on a computer-programmed machine giving a real driving effect without facing the risk of accidents on roads. (Representative image)

Those looking for a permanent two-wheeler or four-wheeler driving licence in Uttar Pradesh will now have to demonstrate their driving skills on a simulator.

The transport department is going to install air-conditioned driving simulators at all the regional transport offices (RTOs) across the state very soon.

The Road Safety Fund Committee has sanctioned the fund for the purpose at its meeting presided over by chief secretary, Rajive Kumar here on Tuesday.

The committee sanctioned around Rs 12 crore for various purposes, including procurement of simulators.

The funds have to be spent before end of March this year.

“We will purchase simulators before March after which the work on their installation will begin,” a transport official said.

As per the proposal cleared by the committee, the transport department will install static simulators for light motor vehicles (cars and scooters) at all the RTOs while Ghaziabad along with Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Allahabad and Agra will have simulators for both LMV and heavy or commercial vehicles.

Simulators are equipped to train people on driving on a computer-programmed machine giving a real driving effect without facing the risk of accidents on roads.

Presently, drivers have to take the physical test by driving their vehicle on the test tracks at RTOs.

“But this is largely a formality rather a serious exercise. However, installation of simulators will change the things since then it will be computer-based test and one will not be eligible to get a permanent licence without qualifying the test,” the official explained.

The committee also sanctioned Rs 4 crore as first installment for setting up automatic driving tracks one each in Gorakhpur and Pratapgarh.

For the first time, DMs have been given Rs 2 lakh each to spend on road safety activities in their districts.

The chief secretary, however, pulled up the concerning departments for spending government funds on the road safety in a haphardous manner rather than have a focused approach to checking road accidents in the state.

He asked officials to prioritise the activities they wanted to take up to promote road safety in the state and directed the transport department to introduce a centralized system of getting road safety material printed and prepared and then distribute the same to the field.

He said the committee meetings would no more be an annual affair and it will meet more often now.